The Devil's Work
by burden-of-proof
Summary: Polly Thorne is the Shelby nobody was ready for. OC


Polly Thorne was taught of the devil in school. But Polly never believed in the devil, until she met her uncle Tommy Shelby.

When her mother mentions her Uncles by name for the first time, she pictures boys in her class with the same names. Arthur is the biggest boy in her class but very shy and timid, preferring to never speak until forced to. John is a mean spirited boy pushing the boys and making the girls cry all the time. Tommy is silly, the class fool, consistently known to say stupid remarks and wear the dunce hat. Her mummy rarely mentions her family and before long thoughts of them are forgotten.

When her mum mentions her uncle Tommy will be along for a visit, she thinks of him again. What an innocuous name she thinks. Quite childish. Even the simple fool in her class has by now gone with the more serious _Tom_. But when he arrives, exiting the polished car in his long duster jacket, lowering the cap on his head with his extraordinary long, skinny fingers, she thinks there is nothing silly or foolish about this Tommy. He is royal. The richest man she'd ever seen yet. As she marvels, he surveys their modest estate and begins to walk toward them, skipping gracefully over the ever present mud blocking the walkway.

She gives him a small smile, so wanting him to like her, feeling his magnetism even in her young age. His eyes pass over her without looking at her, as though she's blended with the scenery. He walks up to Ada and gives her a brief hug and speaks with the low melodious voice

"I need to speak to you urgently" he glances at Carl waiting patiently as always by his mother's side and ruffles the boy's hair absentmindedly.

Its with shock that polly realizes she's being _ignored. On purpose._

Ada and Tommy make their way to the kitchen shutting the door firmly behind them leaving Polly in a state of anxious confusion and perplexed hurt.

Carl although older, is known for his placidity, his likableness stemming from his willingness to do what others tell him to,put up an unusually strong fight for the keyhole.

Polly pushed her older brother and whispered meanly

"I'll destroy the train set""

This set him in such a panic as it was an expensive birthday gift from Ada, and while they were not poor, Adas choice of a communist lifestyle meant that a lot of the time they'd do without. She was always preaching about the importance of not being a slave to materialism so if Polly destroyed it he wasn't sure he'd get another.

Having won the fight for the keyhole Polly pushed her wild hair out of her eyes and peeped through. Just by observing, Polly felt the tenseness of the scene. Her mother's arms were crossed and the expression she had was very familiar to Polly, having been the recieving end of it for years.

"We're not leaving Tommy".

Tommy sighs heavily and responds "You are coming to Small Heath Ada. All the arrangements have been made. You'll have yourself a nice house, right up armory road set up for you Carl, and Polly."

The anger twists her mother's face into someone unrecognizable "I'll not be taking my children into that whore den of a city! Or any place that family can touch mine!"

For a split second it seems as though Tommy is hurt by the comment "We are still your family Ada. You don't get to choose another."

"What I _choose_ is the wellbeing of _my_ children. I won't have them running amok in the streets, Carl getting shot up and Polly being influenced by Johns wild gypsy children!" She fumes,

Theres a flash of anger on Tommys face, his eyes burn bright "Careful sister, I hear that girl is a wild one, maybe its Jon that needs to worry?" Before what would be the shrillest scream England has ever heard Tommy cuts in again "It comes down to this Ada… we cannot protect you properly here. Billy Kimber has a bigger presence than ever before. My men said they've noticed others following you to the market, following Carl and Polly, getting near enough to grab them from the street! You will not be the one dealing with the ransom for them now, would you Ada?" He lifts his hands showcasing the house like its a hovel, a sneer on his lips.

Polly thought of her home as beautiful. A living room with a couch that was rigid enough to hurt your bum made saggy by their constant slavish devotion to wrestling on it. When pushed aside her mommy taught her and carl to waltz, and she'd waltz about the room like a lady to the scratchy tune of the record player. The attic where Polly and Carl converted to a clubhouse, with a secret knock you must know to get in. She didn't want to leave her home.

Ada lets out a frustrated laugh "Of course it's money that concerns you! Its what drives you more than any love you have for this family." Her voice turns cold as ice as she says "You want to protect my children? You couldn't even protect your me brother, where was your money when your wife was bleeding out on the floor?"

Tommys face is frozen in shock his eyes shiny. For a brief second Polly feels pity for the man who wouldn't look her in the eye.

It fades as his face reverts back to the hardest stone " You and the children are going Ada. Jeremiah will pick you up in the morning."

Sensing the conversation is at its end Polly rushes to get up in a panic before she is discovered spying. She grabs Carl by the front of his shirt and tries to drag him away from the door as he asks loudly "what happened?". Alas her feet did not make it in time and the door is pushed in to reveal what seems to be an almost skeletal face. He is like a re-animated corpse come to drag them to hell. She imagines that underneath his clothes he is not a man but bones, a physician's skeleton without the muscles, veins and tissue that make a man. She remembers the time she sliced her finger cutting an apple and she wonders if he even bleeds.

His eyes meet hers for the first time and what she sees freezes her completely. _Hate._ How one so young can know with certainty what hate is doesn't seem possible but it's the only explanation for the terror that has stricken her. _Move!_ Her head screams at her feet and yet her body betrays her. In that moment she hates the helplessness his look has created, the feeling of unworthiness. She's felt it once before when children in her class threw trash at her and Carl, screaming out "stinky commies!" with a viciousness that belied their innocent age. Children can be cruel but now she sees adults can _paralyze. _His gaze is hellfire and she takes back any wish to notice her.

He turns quickly on his heel and leaves without another word.

The next day Polly feels like a princess. Her bottom sinks in the velvety cushion of the plush seat. "Of course they'd send a Tin Lizzie. The opulence of degenerates who wouldn't give a pound to their fellow man even if they'd owned all the countries riches." Her mother scoffs at the car but Polly loves the gold and red interior and the rickety motion of the car throwing her up everytime there is a bump on the country road. She's never been in one before.

The sun has been streaming down lightening the veil throughout the journey, she suddenly noticed went dark. Curious as it was still daytime she lifted the veil covering the window. What greeted her could have only been the sight of hell. Large plumes of smoke covering the dome of blue sky. Tiny pieces of ash float by like gentle snow and she wants to stick out her tongue and taste one. She feels her mum look over her to the window, "fucking hell small heath", Ada grumbles. "Language Mum!" polly yells. She's never been to small heath before and was excited about this day of firsts, but her mother's apprehension began to worry her. The red of the walls suddenly felt overwhelming and garish. _Its blood that the walls soaked up_ she thought.

The streets were littered with trash and looked perpetually wet with grime and unidentifiable fluids. Smokey air was inhaled with every little breath one took and for a second Polly felt she would suffocate here in the smoky red womb. There was considerable darkness like someone put a sheet atop the sun. She felt panic as the thought of never feeling the warm rays on her skin, of living like a giant rat amongst the rubbish.

A man was walking towards them, his features swimming in and out of focus from the cigarette smoke he puffs on. Men stop in respect on the street, tipping their head in acknowledgement of their subservience and obedience, as though greeting the king. She hears the sound of the blacksmith interpersing his _clang, clang, clang_ a discordant melody that he walks to. The blacksmiths anvil drops on the horseshoe, metal on metal creating a bright flash that reflects in his eyes. The flash is seized in his pupils changing the light cold eyes into the red of a demon.

Polly knew what she met was not human. He has sharp ethereal looks and wields hellfire with his eyes. Polly tries to remember what she learnt about the devil from church. But Polly has always gone to church for the candy. Ada didn't want the children's teeth to rot and as such would never harbor such treats at home. She would gorge herself, her hands sticky from whatever sweets the pastor gave her. Polly went for the candy, but now she'll go for the devil.

Because the king rules in England but the devil rules in small heath.


End file.
